Pro dancers Derek Hough and Val Chmerkovskiy have both written new blogs before finale time on Dancing With The Stars. First up, Val writes of how different this finale is from last season. Last season it was bitter then sweet, but, this season is a “good time to win”. More below in detail including his thoughts (adding: or hints?) for why he should win since he’s never won a mirror ball before (this excuse for someone to win always annoys me. How would he have felt in his competition days if he was told he shouldn’t win since he won before? That’s not the way it should work. It should be about the best dancing, not who hasn’t won a mirror ball before or a win won’t mean the same in my opinion).

It’s finale time but this finale is different — completely different. Last season it was bitter, but then it became quickly sweet. I hate losing, but losing to someone like Tony (Dovolani) and Melissa (Rycroft) was a great feeling for me. That’s my brother pretty much, and I’m super happy for him to win because it was long overdue! I had no right — even just out of respect for Tony, to feel even one inch of, “Oh, it’s not fair!” I have the utmost love and appreciation for that champion.

But this season, I feel like it’s a good time. I don’t feel like it’s too early, I don’t feel like it’s too late. It’s a good time. I feel like if the stars can’t align this time, I’m not sure when they’ll align again. I know I said that last season with Kelly (Monaco) because she was incredible and we had an amazing season, but I never thought I’d be able to follow it up. Zendaya, complete polar opposite of what Kelly and I were, was able to follow up and follow it up in a very unique way.

There has never been a couple like us. This final between my three competitors – between them, they have about 30 seasons and six trophies. But when you look at Zendaya and I, you have never seen a champion like that.

If we win, the generosity and gratefulness that will be pouring out of my body at that moment will be overwhelming for everybody in the room. I will drown people in my appreciation!

As for Derek, he talks of the slow process this past week. He’s had some issues with his neck, but, he’s battling through. The freestyle is about “less is more” as he hinted to us in the On The Red Carpet interview,. Below he talks of the story about it and their other dances….

The story in our freestyle is we see Kellie as who she is. We often see the bright, fun, light and sweet Kellie — and she’s all those things. What you see is what you get with her. But there is a side to her that is very vulnerable and very fragile. The song is called “Beneath Your Beautiful” and it’s about showing it all. To show it all, you can’t hide behind anything. That’s why I against having a big production. I just wanted to try to make it about her ability and her dancing, and try to wow the audience with what she’s doing and not what’s around her. The production we have is fun though.

We have two other dances Monday and then the Instant Dance on Tuesday. The quickstep is extremely exhausting! It’s more difficult than our first one. The music is a lot more vigorous, so it’s faster all around. We got a 29 last time, but that quickstep was actually one of my least favorite dances, just because I felt like it was just a dance. The choreography was difficult, but it was more of a demonstration, like, “This is a quickstep.” This one, we want to put on more of a show and make it more of a finale quickstep. We just have to be really careful. There’s a fine line between doing too much and making it too busy.

The cha-cha relay is only 40 seconds each couple, but with everything this week, it’s kind of outrageous that we have it in the first place! I was like, “Awesome! Four couples in the final. That probably means less work for us.” Then it’s, “Nope! Just kidding! More work! Four couples and four dances each!” But we feel good about our pieces. Now we just have to execute.

I can’t wait. More at TV Guide.com. Also, don’t miss visiting Pure Derek Hough as soon as you can. Heidi has an article up about Derek wanting to expand his career beyond Dancing With The Stars. She has some birthday coverage and more too.

ETA: Also, be sure to check out On The Red Carpet. There is more coverage with these two couples with George Pennacchio.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud.

53 responses to "Derek Hough And Val Chmerkovskiy Blog About Dancing With The Stars Season 16 Finale"

Shocker…Val talks about making things hard so they can win and pushing the vote at the end while Derek talks about making the freestyle about vulnerability and Kellie’s journey and says he hopes everybody enjoys the show at the end.

I was really hoping that having a youngin as a partner would help me like Val but it really just did the opposite for me.

I thought this show was about the journey for the star not about which pro has not won. I guess next season should only be pros who have not won yet. If Val wins tomorrow he needs to step out for others to win in season 17.

Well, it’s Val and his BS again. It is supposed to be about the celebrity. I guess according to him, Jacoby should quit football, he won the Super Bowl. Will Val then quit if he wins? All the excellent pros who have won should just be fired? Tony too? Did Val win a competition than stop competing? He is real insecure. Is he going to cry and stomp his feet if he doesn’t win? If Shawn and Derek won All Stars, would he have felt the same as when Tony won (given)? Bad attitude or is he picking up the teenage attitude?
“I feel like if the stars can’t align this time, I’m not sure when they’ll align again.”
Pretty much admitting that TPTB have been pimping the hell out of their employee. And he has the ringer and he knows it.
So glad that a lot of the pros do not have this attitude.

Well leave it to Val to learn from Tony about making everyone have pity votes for them because he’s the only pro that does not have a MBT. Seriously thought that this season would have been fair, but guess not. They made it obvious from the very beginning that Zendaya is their winner. I hope that it will be the opposite but its just so hard to believe that. I hope that everyone who voted for other teams pick Kellie and Derek or at least Jacoby to win tomorrow. Anyone but Zendaya. I have nothing against her, it just seems she had way too much of an advantage this season and the judges have picked their favorite from their first dance. Please vote Hard for Kellie and Derek!! Good job once again with the information guys!! :)

So tell me, is ABC going to do this again?? Are they going to let Val get on broadcast and start this shit about everyone else already won? What an idiot !! A P R O !! mind you that doesn’t understand this show is about the STARS. When he says stuff like that he is talking about HIMSELF it has nothing to do with Zendaya. I hope everybody gets on twitter, sends e-mails and whatever else and warns this show not to start this kind of undermining manipulation AGAIN this season

OMG…what a whiner! WHO CARES if Derek/Mark/Karina have already won. Kellie/Aly/Jacoby haven’t. It’s about Dancing with the STARS. I didnt even know Maks HAD a brother until Va joined the cast as a Pro! lol

So basically what Val was saying is that if Derek took home the mirror ball trophy last season he would have been mad and bitter about it but since it was Tony, he’s not? I thought this show was about the celebs? not the pro dancer? and I mean.. Kelly was awesome last season but in comparison to Shawn and Melissa? of course she got third. Val should be happy about the journey Kelly went on and not which pro wins the trophy. Karina has only won the trophy once and she won it in her 9th or 10th season being on the show, so I don’t understand his point on “between them, they have about 30 seasons and six trophies” – which shouldn’t even matter because like I said, it’s about the celebrity and NOT the pro. Derek and Mark are both excellent teachers, so of course they have a few trophies. I just don’t like Val making the show about how many trophies the pros have and how he will be bitter if they don’t win -_-

as for Derek, this is what I mean by him being an awesome teacher. He is showing Kellie’s strengths and keeping it simple to show off her technique. Just like I’m sure Jacoby will execute his strengths and do a number to show off his personality.

Maybe Derek, Mark, Karina should take Val aside and EXPLAIN to him that on this show it is about the stars. Or maybe if the show only gave one of these friggin ugly trophies to the star, he would understand a little better. You know, DUMB it down a little so everybody can UNDERSTAND. All I know is he and this show need some serious kind of help. Completely off the rails if they can’t discern the unfairness to ALL other competitors. Is it a contest, with fair judging and scoring and no bias? or is this pee-wee baseball. Why doesn’t somebody walk down the street there in W. Hollywood and buy poor Val one of those trophies so he can take it home to Maks and they can stop their unprofessional nonsense.

Ummmm, great, so however is Val’s partner next season has a zero chance to win? I can see their first meeting: “I’m really disappointed that I got stuck with you, but hey, you should be even more. I’ve already won. And Tristan is here as long as I am and it’s his turn to take home the MBT”

If everyone is against this we need to make our army make sure anyone but her and Val win. Just for this pity vote purpose alone. I’m getting sick of it. I agree with everyone on what they have said. #TeamKellieDerekFTW!! or anyone else but her.

If Derek can follow through with showing us the tender, vulnerable side of Kellie in the freestyle that he writes about then I think they just might have a chance to win.

Let’s face it we’re on season 16. That means the majority of the audience has seen quite a lot of freestyles. I could get an actual total but I feel too lazy right now. To come up with something different that we haven’t seen before yet still make it appealing and dare I say even emotionally moving might just be what the Dr. ordered.

I do love an intelligent dancer. Derek’s blogs are always so thoughtful and insightful. I feel that same intelligence in Karina as well.

“No fair, super-smart-kid-who-works-their-ass-off! You skipped 3 grades, studied abroad, and got a full ride to Harvard while I was a C-student and spent more time playing Call of Duty than studying. You already got all those good things already…it’s my turn to be valedictorian!!!”

“Miss Georgia won Miss American AGAIN???!!!! Ugh, who cares if she looks fantastic in a swimsuit, can sing like Maria Callas, is as beautiful in an evening gown as Grace Kelly, and comes across extraordinarily poised & charming under pressure??? She should totally give her crown to Miss Wyoming…poor Miss Wyoming hasn’t won yet.”

“Ugh, why did Susie get ANOTHER promotion at the office?! Sure, she works long hours, is full of ideas on how to improve our office, and really seems to care about her job…but who cares??? She’s already gotten 5 promotions, why not give it to someone who hasn’t gotten a promotion in 5 years…like me?”

Just a bit of perspective for our friend Val. Earn your trophy, don’t whine for it. Real men don’t beg & whine & complain about what someone else has – they put their big boy undies on, grow a pair, and go get sh*t done. And then afterwards, they build a shelf. Testicular fortitude…seems to be in rare supply these days.

Is it just me or does anyone else get second hand embarrassment when Val has to speak. I notice in interviews while others answer questions very simply and acknowledge their partner’s achievement, he goes over the top with his praise and the “I love ……” I just cringe and actually want to switch the channel until he’s done talking.

Woo hoo…glad to see others saying it…two weeks ago I talked about the arrogance of Val and got “trolled” I think they call it by the Zswaggers. I felt all alone in the world. However I agree. The arrogance of Val just flattens me all the time…please Lord don’t let the stars align..karma would be great on Tuesday!…However I have little faith that TPTB will be able to step back and let the chips fall where they may…instead the vote beggars will be out in all their glory.

And meggie, maybe I should even simplify it further for Val with this question: who is the prom queen more likely to bang – the guy that just led the football team to a championship win with a game-winning touchdown, or the guy whining on the sidelines about how the quarterback who gets all the chicks? ;-)

It is like Val is trying to make this win so much better and bigger because he is beating winners. Lol. Trying so hard to make them seem like underdogs when he has the ringer, youngest celeb ( ringer or not, I can see viewers being all…Zendaya is a nice kid, let’s vote for her, we do not want a kid to lose) and she has a huge fan base. He is not fooling anyone. They are the faves tonight and had breaks going in their favor.

Like everyone else has stated before, Val has completely lost his perspective on what the show is about and is coming off like he is in competition with Derek and Mark and not the celebs against each other under the guidance of a pro. I guess goes to show that being a good student does not necessarily translate into being a good teacher and that is probably his underlying problem. As a dancer he is talented no questions about it and he has proven himself but he is failing to reconcile that fact that just because he has been successful in his career as a dancer, its not an auto-transfer thing when it comes to passing that knowledge on to others and am sure because Derek and Mark have succeeded in doing both, he is probably under the mistaken idea that he should be able to do it as well since he considers them his contemporaries and people he has had some personal success against(Mark).

So, I see Val is taking the Tony way of winning, by whining about how he hasn’t won yet. See, Val, it’s not about you. It’s the supposed to be about the star. But I guess according to him, he’s the star. I’ve never liked him and he’s gotten such a huge break and pass this season, that it’s gone to his head.

So, who’s going to mention how he hasn’t won on the show tonight? Him? Zendaya? Carrie Ann? Brooke? Who?

“If we win, the generosity and gratefulness that will be pouring out of my body at that moment will be overwhelming for everybody in the room. I will drown people in my appreciation!”

Well with sappy language like that, it’s pretty obvious that’s he catering to the 8-16 year old fans of Zen’s. They will buy the whole pee-wee league concept hook, line and sinker …. and they’ll love drowning in his appreciation! OMG! Gag me!

IN the new E! Interview which is supposed to be FUN, all the contestants EXCEPT Val call out all the other contestants by name. Derek can’t even get through what he’s trying to say without laughing. Poor little Aly can’t trash talk to save her life. Val?? Singles out Derek and no one else. Jealous much?? Even if you do manage to win this highly manipulated-in-your-favor season, sweetheart, he still has more trophies than you.

Of course, by your logic Val, if you are in the finale with Tristan next season (or Henry or anyone else who doesn’t have a trophy) you have to STEP ASIDE and let them win. It’s only FAIR, right? LOL

Best start thinking of your reason why you should win next season – when you win this one your ready made whine will be all used up. So sad…

I’m wondering if I’m reading the same blogs as the rest of you. Nowhere do I see Val saying he should win because he hasn’t won before. If he didn’t want to win, he has no business competing on dancing show. The reference to the other pros being winners was , to me, amazement that he is in such accomplished company.

I have to say that the thing that actually bugs me the most about what Val said here is how apparently, “there has never been a couple like us.” I hate to burst his bubble, as there’s nothing wrong with being proud of your celeb and anything you guys might’ve achieved, but the way he says it rubs me the wrong way entirely, like he and Zen are a bunch of special snowflakes. It’s not as if we’ve NEVER seen any other half-decent couple on this show before where the pro hasn’t won. What the hell difference does it make if the others have won and he hasn’t? That alone seriously doesn’t make one couple more unique or anything. *smh*

I do agree with you though, auntie bellum. I don’t necessarily get the impression that he thinks he should win just because he hasn’t yet, but I still don’t understand how he thinks that somehow makes his and Zen’s partnership that much more unique and like nothing we’ve ever seen before.

Well I’ve finally decided that Kellie is the one who should win and it has been a process of elimination. I think all of the women have been very good , but Kellie is the only one who has no Disney behind her, and no Olympic background. She started with no experience in dancing and therefore IMHO has come the farthest. For me Jacoby has never been a contender.

Now, ya’ll know I love Val, but to read his comments was very disappointing. :(
It’s that bitter, Maks thing, that I thought Val had moved passed, but I guess there’s still some lingering. I could go on and on about where I think it comes from etc. and how I don’t believe he’s really that person.

But the bottom line Val is, what you said conveys that you’re putting yourself above your partner and the show is about the celebrity. Not that you’re not talented and unique, to me, but a bad attitude ruins it. I get that after your family immigrated to the U.S. and having a rough time transitioning and after all the sacrifice and hard work that comes with that journey, that winning the MBT would validate it all and mean the world to you. HOWEVER, if you don’t win this season, it’s not the end of the world and you can win it in the future. And please don’t be rude if Derek or anyone else but you (AND ZENDAYA) wins. The bottom line is, other people are as important and deserving as you and sometimes more so and sometimes less.

In the mature, wise , world…someone else winning a trophy doesn’t make you a loser, unless that’s what you feel. The one with the best character always wins, trophy or not. And there can be more than one winner and more than one way to win in life.

#Ashley L — so well put. I would only add: your partner getting a perfect 30 on her freestyle is not the optimal moment to grab the microphone and start expounding on parenting. I’m sure you feel that we will all be at a disadvantage if we don’t have the benefit of your musings. Well, I’m here to tell you that we are prepared to soldier on.

This is my last year of this crap. Derek has gotten good women all the time, while the rest had to struggle. Glad to hear that DEREK might not be coming back. Leave Val alone & Tony too. The show has gone to pot, the morals, the way they dress & all the sexy moves. This was suppose to be a a family show, take a look at what goes on. Glad to hear that a few are leaving. Will miss Cheryl if she decides to leave.
Glad to hear just one night. It’s been repeat the second night, just wasting my time with this show.

How old is Val? He is certainly coming off as a kid. I know he’s Maks’ younger bro but not that young, I don’t think. Also, I think they should have a rule that contestants have to be at least 18. And, to end my mini-rant, I think that to really up their viewership, they need to attract B-C level celebs. They are mistaking their demographic, too. The older folks are the ones who actually watch TV, kids just use other electronics. And the older generation is the last one for a while that has or will have any reasonable disposable income- read money to spend, advertisers.

I’ve been meaning to comment last Monday, but work got in the way. Then there was Kellie & Derek’s astounding freestyle and their sweet victory, which made me forget. All throughout this season, Derek blogged. And each blog, short or long, was really informative but still left something for the reader to look forward to in the dances he choreographed for Kellie. What I realized about half-way through this season was, whatever Derek wrote in his blogs, he was able to show every Monday night. In short, he delivered. Heck, he even knew if the judges would or might find fault in his choreography (Len on the Paso trio). Derek epitomizes the saying “Walk the talk.”